A report issued last week from the Policy Studies Institute urges the Lord Chancellor to extend legal aid funding to “new ways” of giving legal advice. Alternative Methods of Delivering Legal Services suggests supplying advice to community groups among other ideas. The report is based on an evaluation of 11 projects nationwide in law centres […]
John Gower-Jones is a partner in the property department of Davies Wallis Foyster’s Manchester office. Born in Rochdale in 1946, he now lives in Mobberley, Cheshire. What was your first job? Deck chair attendant, Blackpool. What was your first ever salary as a lawyer? £400 a year as an articled clerk. What would you have […]
Martin Mears’ remarks in his article in last week’s The Lawyer, to the effect that one of the working parties set up under his initiative is “achieving nothing at all”, cannot go unchallenged. This appears to be a reference to the working party on entry to the profession which the president invited me to join. […]
The time has come for solicitors to lay their briefs on the table. Despite carping from the sidelines for the past six months about the current president of the Law Society Martin Mears, no contender has yet emerged as a potential challenger for the elections next summer. Where are all the council members who are […]
I am somewhat dismayed and astonished by the complete insensitivity of the Law Society training committee chair Simon Baker, maintaining that “the serious over supply of applicants seems to be correcting itself without the need for direct intervention” (The Lawyer 27 February ‘Report renews trainee furore’). Surely, Mr Baker seems to forget there are over […]
In a recent decision, Justice Jacob sent a message to trade mark proprietors: do not try to monopolise ordinary words of the English language. British Sugar v James Robertson & Sons was the second action to come to trial under the Trade Marks Act 1994. This action was over the trade mark ‘Treat’ registered by […]
High Court action has been launched against a rattle manufacturer by Mother and Baby magazine after a number of babies were injured by rattles distributed with the magazine. The writ says many of the rattles distributed broke, cutting babies and toddlers on their mouths and faces, while other babies coughed and choked on broken parts […]
Clifford Chance advised The Burton Group in its £180 million multicurrency revolving credit facility. Allen & Overy represented Lloyds Bank Capital Markets Group.
City firm McKenna & Co is to handle the international legal work for the Norwegian electric grid company Statnett SF. The McKenna & Co team includes Fiona Woolf and Robert Lane, both partners in the utilities and major projects group, and specialists from the banking and competition law departments. The firm won a bid to […]
RESEARCHERS are poised to embark on a major survey to assess the impact of the new now win, no fee regulations. Burning issues including the proportion of damages swallowed up by fees are to be tackled in the survey commissioned by the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct (Aclec). The committee has […]
As the European commercial property market gets together for its seventh year at the MIPIM convention in Cannes, UK law firms will again be there in large numbers. And it is not just the prospect of a weekend escaping the British winter, to wine and dine on the French Riviera, which entices them back year […]
THE MINISTRY of Agriculture, Foods and Fisheries is taking five Staffordshire farmers to court over ‘black market milk’ dealings. The case went before Stafford Crown Court on 26 February for pre-trial direction. The defendants are accused of breaching Commission Regulation (EC) 536-93 which prohibits milk producers selling to unauthorised purchasers. One defendant is a purchaser […]